This man got the ultimate Delta upgrade.
Bruce Gamble spent much of his career as a consultant for car dealerships, flying in and out of Birmingham, Alabama.
Gamble never imagined that the rapport he built with the Delta Airlines crew, like part-time staffer Jill Hickey, throughout the years would one day change his life.
Gamble had struggled with some health issues through the years but found himself facing a life-threatening situation in 2022 at age 74 when his kidneys began failing due to his Type 2 diabetes — a transplant was his only hope, according to CNN.
Despite his frequent flyer miles and his connections, the one thing that mattered most — a healthy kidney — seemed out of reach. The dreaded wait for an organ was expected to take between three and five years, but by that point, the surgery would be too risky for him at his age.
So, he became “an advocate” for himself. “It really started when somebody would say, ‘How are you doing today, Bruce?’ and I said, ‘I’m doing fine, except I just need to find a kidney donor,’” he told CNN.
But it wasn’t as easy as finding someone who was willing and able to — so Gamble struggled to find a match, until Hickey stepped in.
Hickey heard of Gamble’s situation and got tested despite her family being hesitant about what she would have to endure to be a donor for the flyer.
It turns out Hickey was a match.
The two underwent successful surgeries in December 2024 in Birmingham.
“When Jill called me and said she was an exact match, I can’t tell you – I was just speechless at that point,” Gamble said.
“We were strangers at first, but we’re more like family now,” Hickey said.
This isn’t the first time a good Samaritan saved a flyer’s life.
On an overnight American Airlines flight, a physician assistant named Emily Haley saved 61-year-old Dr. Jacquelyn Lacera’s life, who was suffering from arrhythmia midflight, WBAL TV reported.
With the help of a defibrillator, Haley was able to steady Lacera’s heartbeat.
“We talked about it, and I said, ‘I think I need to shock you.’ I said, ‘I don’t have a choice.’ And, she said, ‘Let’s do it,’” Haley explained.
“She looked at me, I looked at her, and I said, ‘Do it,’” Lacera added. “That was the most painful thing I’ve ever been through.”
“It’s amazing. God put her in that situation, and she did everything right,” Lacera said. “It was wonderful.”
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